Rockland Responds: Town of Ramapo Superintendent of Highways Fred Brinn Responds to Question About Snow on Roadway

To the Highway Department, 

I was out on the roads early Tuesday morning when the snow was still coming down, and I have to say, I really don't think there was salt on the roads. I didn't see any, and the roads were slippery as could be.

Sincerely, 

Rockland Driver

Dear Driver, 

The Ramapo Highway Department was on the road by 3 a.m. early Tuesday morning, plowing and salting the roads. I am glad to report that we had no major breakdowns or issues. 

Ramapo received a lot of snow, up to one inch per hour, and keeping up with the accumulation was a challenge. Our trucks have to complete their routes before they can come back to replow streets during an extended snowfall, which is why it might look like we haven't plowed a street or salted it with snow falling at the rate it was on Tuesday. 

We sometimes get complaints from people who call in saying they saw the plow go through their street without salting. This happens if the street is wide enough to require two swipes of the street with the plow. In that case, on the first swipe, the plow won't put down salt as it would only be plowed away by the second swipe of the truck, which is when the plow will scatter salt. 

 I can guarantee that all the streets the Ramapo Highway Department is responsible for were appropriately salted during our routes, with salt taken from three different sources. In addition to the salt in our shed at the highway department at Spook Rock and Highview, the Ramapo Highway Department also has an agreement with the Rockland Highway Department at Chestnut Ridge and in Haverstraw, where our trucks in the area can reload rather than wasting time coming back creating even more efficiency in doing the job we do for the Town of Ramapo. 

I appreciate the opportunity to answer your question. Please read here for more answers to general questions on winter safety, regulations, tips, and safety. 

Sincerely,